happy graduation to booga

on Tuesday, my brother graduated from another round of training at the police academy. on the way to the ceremony, I was trying to tell the girls where we were going and we sang "happy graduation to you" to practice the word. the best part was that Ladybug would listen quietly and then chime in with a loud "to booga!" at the end of each line.

So we went to graduation, stocked with coloring pages and snacks and all sorts of things to keep them busy. Unfortunately, they didn't fall for it. They were wiggly and loud and full of energy (and we were sitting on the first row) so we spent a good portion of the ceremony playing outside or standing up in the back. but a couple of favorite moments:

when Butterfly took some gummy bears and ran to the front of the room to share them with her "uncl' booga". He sat quiet, dignified and attentive, looking very handsome in his officer's uniform but still, he smiled, gave her a squeeze and ate the gummy bears before she ran back to me.

getting to share a favorite memory of growing up with booga. We used to play our own version of "maguyver". I would set traps all around his room, mostly things that would make noise or block his path. Then, with the lights off, he would have to enter the room and without any lights or without making any noise, dismantle my traps and reach the opposite wall to untie some poor defenseless barbie doll.

Seeing both girls laying on their bellies, chins propped up on their hands and feet crossed in the air behind them as they watched a slideshow video from the training experiences.

getting to play with cousins. They were especially cute with the "baby" who "needs my help". Ladybug likes to take the baby's binky just so she can look at it and then force it back into baby's mouth. Butterfly likes to read her stories and show her the pictures. Both were disappointed when the baby wouldn't help them color pictures.

after the ceremony, we went to lunch with all our family and had some tasty Mexican food (always a sure bet with my kids since it involves two favorite foods--rice and sour cream). Then I piled the girls in the car and began the long drive home, with both girls sound asleep before I even left the parking lot.